Water for life and longevity
Water is essential to life and good health. A huge percentage of the body is made up of water. It is essential for hydration.
Unfortunately water is heavily contaminated with heavy metals and many other toxins and it has become even more important to drink water that is healthy and free of contaminants.
Chlorine and fluoride are used in most municipal tap water. Chlorine is added to water due to its disinfectant properties to kill disease causing pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoans that commonly grow in water reservoirs, water mains and tanks. These halogens are known to be harmful and displace iodine within the body and causing iodine deficiency which can lead to thyroid problems. Despite this another problem with tap water is it also carries the dead bodies of these ill causing pathogens which ends up being ingested.
When travelling to foreign countries where water is heavily contaminated and no sanitization is used this can cause severe illness due to live microbes in the water. In this case it is better to use bottled water or distilled water. Sanitization kills microbes that can cause potentially fatal diseases such as typhoid, cholera and dysentery and unfortunately most developing countries do not have the required sanitization to avoid these conditions.
Reasons why you need to filter tap water
There are several filtration systems that can be fitted to remove contaminants and each has its pros and cons. Filtering your water is imperative for good health and although not all people may be able to afford high end water filters or add a filtering system around the home there are cheap options and tips to help reduce toxins found in tap water to make it safer for drinking. Here are the top reasons for filtering tap water:
- Healthy water is essential for health
- Tap water contains excessive amounts of heavy metals
- Toxic chemicals such as chlorine are added to sanitize water
- Tap water carries the dead bodies of many parasites
- Tap water contains pharmaceutical drugs such as antibiotics
Methods of purifying water for drinking
Water filter jug
This is one of the common way to remove most contaminants but not all. Although it is much better then drinking tap water directly it may not always be ideal depending on the level of contamination. Most of the jugs are made of plastic which should be avoided as plastic is a major hormone disruptor. Fortunately there are glass jugs for filtering. One way to increase the filtration of a water filter jug is to also use a binchotan activated charcoal which can remove even more contaminants.
A water filter jug such as the Brita water filter comes with replaceable filters which are placed in the jugs, water is then added to the jug and seeps through the filter in the bottom half to collect the filtered water. Though it is instructed to change it after a month’s use possibly due to bacterial growth, the filters can last up to 3 months and a TDS meter can determine if it is still working.
Water filter jugs can also improve the flavor of water.
Binchotan activated charcoal
Binchotan activated charcoal is an active carbon made from tree branches. Binchotan activated charcoal has negative ions on its surface which helps to absorb impurities such as chlorine and fluoride. The charcoal also contains nutrients such as calcium, iron and magnesium which can be released back into the water providing essential minerals in the water. It can also balance the water's pH levels.
Activated charcoal is used in many water filters. You can make your own filtered water at home simply by adding Binchotan activated charcoal into a jug of water. Let this sit for at least an hour before using water though it is ideal to let it sit in water for up to 8 hours to remove higher concentrations of impurities.
One of the many benefit of using Binchotan activated charcoal is that it is ideal for travelling due to its compact size. It can also last up to 3 months and a further 3 months once boiled in order to reactivate the charcoal.
Water Distiller
If you want to drink pure water a water distiller might be the answer. A water distiller works by boiling water and transferring the steam droplets into a separate container. The result is water that has been stripped of any dissolved solids which includes inorganic minerals that cannot be utilized by the body, harmful bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals. Water distillers require the use of electricity.
Distilled water can act as a chelator which basically means it can attract and hold onto many minerals from the body causing demineralization. In order to bypass this you can remineralise the water by adding natural sea salts such as celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt. You can also add fresh lemon juice. In general most people are lacking nutrients and will need to get it through the diet which is likely to require supplementation. A water distiller is big and will require space, a good quality water distiller can also be expensive.
Spring water and well water
Whilst there are many spring water and well water available all over the world these may be contaminated. It is important to seek out the best quality spring water if you will stick with spring water for drinking. Most well waters are contaminated. It is always best to confirm any contamination level before consuming this type of water. Using spring water through a water filter jug such as the brita water filter and then using binchotan activated charcoal which may reduce contaminants. Fortunately there is a list compiled for safe spring water which can be found at www.findaspring.com.
Bottled water
Some bottled water may be from springs. However it is known that most cheap bottled water simply may be tap water which has been distilled with added trace minerals. Problem with bottled water is that they are contained in plastic which should be avoided as much as possible as plastic is a major hormone disruptor. When travelling to foreign countries where water is heavily contaminated and no sanitization is used this can cause severe illness due to live pathogens in the water. In this case it is better to use bottled water or distilled water.
Carbon filters
Berkey water filter is a carbon only filter that can remove most contaminants which a Brita filter cannot. There are various sizes including their smallest size ideal for 1-2 people. Berkey water filter removes chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, bacteria and viruses. Berkey water filters are expensive and like a water distiller it is also large and will require space for use and storage. One of the benefit of the Berkey water filter is that it does not require electricity. Set up is fairly simple and filters need replacing every few years.
If your tap water has extremely high amounts of fluoride the Berkey water filter may be the only affordable option and is essential for anyone experiencing fluoride toxicity.
How to know your water filter is working
A TDS meter is ideal for finding out just how well your filtration system is working. This meter can record ppm measurement which records the amount of particles in the water. To do this it is best to record the ppm of the water prior to using the TDS meter and then adding through the choice of filtering system and recording the ppm once again. After using the water through filtration system the ppm should be significantly lower.